Reds' Jay Bruce: Outlawing shifts not needed

Jay Bruce’s BABIP (batting average on balls put in play) is .280 this year. Last year, it was .322.
(Photo:
The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger
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You don't have to watch many Reds games to see it. Jay Bruce will line one into right field. Sure base hit – except it isn't. That's because the second baseman is playing 20 or 30 feet into right field.

It goes as an easy 4-3, rather than a hit.

"That's definitely taken some hits away from me," Bruce said. "I don't use it as an excuse. But the bottom line is it takes hits away."

Nearly every team uses shifts. In Bruce's case, as a left-handed pull hitter, he often faces alignments with three infielders on the right side of second base.

"You smoke a ball up the middle and you think it's a hit," he said. "But the shortstop is playing right behind second base."

Bruce's BABIP (batting average on balls put in play) is .280 this year. Last year, it was .322.

"The shifts," the coach said. "Get rid of them. You need to come up with a definition of illegal defense. I know you'll say, 'Well, you're a hitting coach. Of course you would (say that).' But it's something that has really changed the game."

Bruce doesn't think making them illegal is necessary.

"Do I think they should be illegal?" he said. "No. I don't think that's the way to handle it. The game's getting more sophisticated. There's more information. There's data to explain the theories and the reason they're doing these things. It is what it is."

Shifts have been around forever. They were used against Ted Williams. But in the computer age, teams have spray charts on every player. The National League is hitting .249 as a whole. That's down from .262 10 years ago.

"People are getting smarter," Bruce said. "They're utilizing the information to make themselves more successful. That's what you have to do."

Nearly every hitter faces some sort of shift.

"We see it with some of the right-handers as well," Reds hitting coach Don Long said. "You have a choice: To continue to hit to your strength or try to develop something to beat it. You'd like to have those tools in the bag. More often than not, we want to hit to our strength. But we also want to make the opposition make a choice, especially in certain situations.

"With a right-hander, nobody out and a runner on first, you see three infielders on the left side. To me, I've got to have a tool in my bag where I hit it firm to straightaway second base. It's not like I'm trying to hit the hole. If I hit a ball firm to straightway second, I've got an opportunity to send the runner to third and create a big inning. In that situation, I can't be stubborn.

"We always want guys to hit to their strength, but I think it's important to develop the ability to take advantage of the situation."

Bruce says beating the shift is difficult.

"Everyone's like, 'Hit a ground ball to shortstop or hit one down the line.' Like you can do whatever you want." he said. "A lot of times, pitchers pitch to the shift. And shifts are getting more sophisticated. In New York, (shortstop Derek) Jeter was playing third, in on the grass. So you can't bunt. Ideally, you want to get a hit. It's hard to do.

"It's definitely cut down on average. You look at a player like Mark Teixiera. He was a .300, .280 hitter. You put the shift on him. He's a guy who drives the ball, pull hitter. He uses the other side of the field some. But guys like that are hitting in the .250s."

Long says eventually hitters will be taught to beat the shift in the minors.

"I think you're going to see it," Long said. "Not everybody's going to be the perfect hitter and be able to do everything. But I think you're going to find guys who want to have the ability to hit to both sides of the field.

"I don't know this will be a high priority in A ball. You don't have a lot of history with guys. Organizations are going to develop philosophies where certain types of guys we're going to teach to play the shift."